Professor Greg Watson has opened enrollment for the next session of his Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship course, a program that blends academic theory with practical application for both college students and local small business owners. The course, offered on an approximately eight to ten week schedule at Pima Community College and through Entrepreneurship Essentials, guides participants from initial concept through the launch of a viable venture.
The upcoming session is structured to move learners through the full lifecycle of building a business. Early stages focus on nurturing ideas from concept to creation, encouraging participants to explore their passions, identify market opportunities, and develop practical solutions. Later stages address crafting strategic business plans, validating those plans with real customers, assessing long-term feasibility, and pitching to investors to secure funding for growth.
A distinguishing feature of the program is its dual audience. Alongside academic students pursuing degrees, the course welcomes local small business owners seeking strategic and tactical concepts they can apply immediately in their own operations. Coursework includes hands-on projects, case studies, and guest lectures from experienced entrepreneurs, an approach designed to strengthen student engagement across both groups.
Watson, a retired serial entrepreneur, teaches from direct business experience and has structured the curriculum around measurable student achievement rather than theory alone. Topics span feasibility analysis, forms of ownership, business plan development, cash flow management, sales forecasting, breakeven analysis, sources of funding, and building an entrepreneurial team.
"The goal of this course is student success that extends well beyond the classroom," said Greg Watson, entrepreneurship instructor and founder of Entrepreneurship Essentials. "Whether someone is a degree-seeking student or a business owner already operating in the community, the material is built to be taken home and applied the very next day."
Watson noted that the program's cyclical schedule allows new participants to join several times each year, ensuring the material stays current with changing market conditions. "Each session is refined based on what happens in the room," Watson said. "Customer validation, real feedback, and iteration are not just topics we cover, they are how the course itself continues to evolve."
The course reflects a broader emphasis on connecting formal education with the working entrepreneurial ecosystem. By combining theoretical insights with applied exercises, the program aims to prepare participants to identify market opportunities, develop comprehensive business plans, engage potential customers, and evaluate the viability of their ventures before committing significant resources. This structure supports sustained student engagement and encourages participants to treat coursework as a working draft of an actual business.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxMzzRW3P14
Professor Greg Watson is a retired serial entrepreneur who now dedicates his time to teaching entrepreneurship and ethics. He offers a range of courses that include Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Principles of Marketing, Advertising, Dynamics of Leadership, Human Relations in Business and Industry, Business Organization and Management, and Ethics in the Workplace. Watson also maintains a virtual Entrepreneurship Studio where he holds office hours and works directly with students, reflecting his stated commitment to giving back to the entrepreneurial community.
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For more information about Professor Watson, contact the company here:
Professor Watson
Greg Watson
(520) 270-7020
gregwatson@professorwatson.com
1255 N. Stone Ave. Tucson, AZ 85709-3000
(520) 270-7020
gregwatson@professorwatson.com
